Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Ollis.
Hi Jessica, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My husband, Chris, and I had dreamed of starting our own business for ten years before we finally landed on something we thought could work. He had been brewing kombucha in our basement for a few months when one evening around dinnertime he came upstairs and excitedly announced, “I think we can sell this at the farmers market.”
Until that moment, I had strategically avoided tasting his experimental brews, but I knew if we were going to make this work, I had to be all in. With an element of resignation, I sighed and said, “O.K., I’ll try it.” To my surprise, I thought it was delicious, and few days later we invited some friends to sample the few flavors we had. They loved it, and we have been full steam ahead since then.
We found a space which needed quite a bit of infill to be ready to brew commercially. During the renovation, we were contacted by a local reporter inquiring what we were doing with the facility. We were interviewed and photographed for what we thought was a lifestyle or editorial piece (something found on the back page of some section of the paper); but when we woke up the next day, we were stunned to find ourselves on the front page of the local newspaper!
We were contacted by Wil Fischer Companies that day, and we partnered with them a few days later to get our product into stores. Our local natural foods store, Mama Jean’s, was also supportive from the beginning. We have been embraced and supported by our local community as a small business and Southwest Missouri’s first commercial kombucha brewery from day one and cannot possibly express enough gratitude for that.
Our company started with draft sales exclusively. When the pandemic hit, we were able to introduce cans into the market. We began offering local delivery and were able to maintain and even expand our footprint as a result.
Last year we were introduced into a newly built Hy-Vee, and soon after our distributor expanded into the K.C. market area. Based on our local relationship with both Hy-Vee and Wil Fischer Companies, we were able to expand into K.C. Hy-Vee’s a couple of months ago.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As a small business manufacturers, we confront equipment and logistical challenges frequently, but we remain acutely aware of other possibly catastrophic mishaps and try to maintain a proper perspective. We try to view hiccups, obstacles, and even failures as learning opportunities. As long as the lights are still on, we have room to grow. The retailer responsible for 30% of our sales closed abruptly in January, 2020. Coupled with the stay-home orders that came two months later, that was a bit scary. But we made it through and learned a lot from both experiences.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I have been a business owner for five years. Most of my earlier career experience was in the insurance and financial services industry. I enjoy volunteering for organizations that serve our community, including my church (Christ Episcopal Church of Springfield) and Farmers Market of the Ozarks, where I serve as Board Treasurer.
I value customer service and integrity, and I believe most obstacles can be overcome by genuinely treating others as valued individuals in all circumstances.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
One of the best investments we made at the start was hiring a branding agency to help us tease out our core values and strengths. I would definitely do that again and encourage anyone starting a small business to do so. It helped us gain clarity about who we are and who we want to be, and we can return to those values in any circumstance our business faces.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shop.springbranchkombucha.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/springbranchkombucha/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/springbranchkombucha
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sb_kombucha
Image Credits
Image Credits: Jessica Ollis, Chris Ollis, and Jeremy Wells
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